Building an Effective Public Engagement Campaign
Public engagement is critical to the success of community-wide initiatives. Government agencies can roll out helpful programs and initiatives; however, if the community doesn’t trust the organization or understand the need for the initiative, the entire project can fail. To increase levels of public engagement, government and organizational leaders can invest in the development of a public engagement campaign that leverages multiple different communication channels to communicate the necessity and benefits of the supported programming or initiatives. An effective public engagement campaign may include social media posts, printed materials, informative videos, and even community influencer content. Expected outcomes include cultivating community trust, increasing awareness, and encouraging participation by the public.
The Five Levels of Public Engagement
According to the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), there are five levels of public engagement:
Level 1: Informing the public about the intended action.
Level 2: Consulting the public about the proposed action.
Level 3: Involving the public in the decision process regarding needed action.
Level 4: Collaborating with the public to develop solutions related to community concerns.
Level 5: Empowering the public to decide what action should be taken regarding community concerns.
Recognizing the varying levels of public engagement can help community leaders evaluate which level of public involvement would be best for planned public engagement campaigns. When the challenge is an emergency, such as an unanticipated natural disaster, informing the public by disseminating information in a timely manner may be the best course of action. If the community challenge is ongoing, government and organizational leaders may need to consider a higher level of public involvement, such as involving the public in decision-making through forming advisory councils and steering committees, conducting informative community workshops, and issuing community-wide surveys that actively solicit feedback. Public participation, when engaged strategically, can help increase the success of new initiatives.
6 Steps to an Effective Public Engagement Campaign
Government leaders tasked with supporting the community through periods of change and implementing innovative solutions to community-wide challenges should consider launching a public engagement campaign to generate support. Effective public engagement campaigns meet the community where they are, addressing their concerns and hesitations in a trust-building manner. Failing to do this effectively can significantly diminish the success of a public engagement campaign.
Here are six steps to developing and implementing an effective public engagement campaign:
Identify the public engagement campaign’s mission.
Simply stating a community problem isn’t sufficient for effectively communicating a public engagement campaign’s mission. This type of bland broadcasting will struggle to cut through the “noise” on modern communication and media platforms. To be effective, government communicators should prioritize the development of a clear mission statement for the proposed public engagement campaign. The guiding mission should answer the following questions: What will the proposed community mission accomplish? Why is the initiative necessary? How will the planned course of action positively impact the community in the short and long term? Additionally, government agencies should incorporate creative storytelling practices into campaign development, as this approach will improve engagement and increase the memorability of the outreach initiative.
Conduct a project-specific SWOT analysis.
Community leaders can conduct a SWOT analysis specific to the proposed initiative and the community to understand positioning and the environment better. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that provides insights into immediate and future project-related concerns. It can also provide valuable information that can help improve the effectiveness of the public engagement campaign. No two SWOT analyses will be the same. When conducted correctly, a SWOT analysis will provide situational awareness and information completely customized to the community and initiative. This will help the organization improve the overall effectiveness of the public engagement campaign as it develops.
Outline the public engagement campaign’s scope and required resources.
All public engagement campaigns should include a well-defined scope and a listing of required resources. Once the project’s scope and needed resources have been outlined, campaign leadership can cross-reference with available resources to determine feasibility. If the agency or organization lacks social media staff for an effective digitally-amplified public engagement campaign, they could consider hiring a consultant or outsourcing to a qualified vendor. In addition to the financial and staffing needs of the public engagement campaign, government and organizational leaders should identify community stakeholders that may be of assistance in disseminating information and providing community-relevant feedback related to the campaign.
Consider outcomes, targets, and milestones.
Clearly defined outcomes should be included in the public engagement campaign. These are the intended end goals of the campaign by which success should be measured. Additionally, quantifiable targets should be used to track campaign performance. Program sign-ups, social media analytics, event participants, etc., are examples of metrics that can be used to gauge campaign results. Also, an effective public engagement campaign doesn’t happen overnight; instead, it’s an extended project that spans multiple weeks, months, or even years. Campaign managers should identify campaign milestones tied to project targets and outcomes to mark phases in the public engagement campaign. This helps communicate to the community how successful the initiative is in reaching overall goals.
Evaluate multiple channels for public engagement campaign success.
Simply posting campaign-related materials to one social media platform or distributing one mailout with initiative information to community members isn’t sufficient. A multiple-channel approach to distributing public engagement campaign information is critical for optimal results. Campaign managers should research target audiences and identify preferred media channels and associated behaviors to determine the best communication channels. Consider community demographics, including age, gender, socio-economic status, education, etc. To effectively reach diverse audiences, multiple channels and approaches must be used. Recognize that no two target audiences will be the same; thus, prioritizing market research specific to your community is essential. Once preferred methods of communication have been identified, public engagement campaign content can be developed specifically for the select channels. The type of content that goes over well on YouTube may not deliver the same results via traditional media outlets.
Develop a public engagement campaign strategy.
Once information relating to the project mission, scope, resource availability, stakeholders, and target audiences has been outlined, government and organizational leaders can develop a public engagement strategy that outlines the “how” behind the “what” and “why.” Ideally, a written public engagement campaign strategy will provide in-depth insight into the project, anticipated challenges, intended outcomes, and community audiences. The developed strategy should be a living document routinely re-assessed and updated when new information is available. One advantage of having such a document is that elements of this strategy may be useful in future projects and help keep the campaign sustainable as it’s not dependent on just one person to execute.
Learn more about public engagement campaigns:
If your government agency is looking for a creative partner to provide marketing consulting and social media services, contact Becker Digital. We specialize in going beyond the screen and engaging diverse communities in a meaningful way. All of our work is customized to the organizational client’s needs. Contact us to schedule a complimentary call and learn more about how public engagement strategies can enhance your organization’s mission.